NameCensus.

UK surname

Stillings

An occupational surname derived from an old Scots word meaning "one who makes or uses stilts."

In the 1881 census there were 39 people recorded with the Stillings surname, ranking it #28,137 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 98, ranked #31,470, down from #28,137 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Manchester and Pontefract. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Sheffield and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stillings is 111 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 151.3%.

1881 census count

39

Ranked #28,137

Modern count

98

2016, ranked #31,470

Peak year

2011

111 bearers

Map years

1

1901 to 1901

Key insights

  • Stillings had 39 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,137 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016, ranked #31,470.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 104 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Stillings surname distribution map

The map shows where the Stillings surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Stillings surname density by area, 1901 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stillings over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 43 #25,518
1861 historical 54 #27,127
1881 historical 39 #28,137
1891 historical 85 #26,080
1901 historical 104 #22,310
1911 historical 83 #24,531
1997 modern 94 #27,781
1998 modern 93 #28,563
1999 modern 91 #28,937
2000 modern 86 #29,484
2001 modern 86 #29,281
2002 modern 93 #28,920
2003 modern 93 #28,829
2004 modern 104 #27,338
2005 modern 106 #27,044
2006 modern 99 #28,453
2007 modern 93 #29,777
2008 modern 98 #29,355
2009 modern 96 #30,239
2010 modern 105 #29,453
2011 modern 111 #28,294
2012 modern 99 #30,442
2013 modern 99 #30,934
2014 modern 95 #31,792
2015 modern 97 #31,499
2016 modern 98 #31,470

Geography

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Where Stillings' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Manchester, Pontefract, Bradford and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Sheffield and Bradford. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Pontefract Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 023 Doncaster
2 Sheffield 076 Sheffield
3 Bradford 019 Bradford
4 Bradford 027 Bradford
5 Bradford 035 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stillings

These lists show first names that appear often with the Stillings surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stillings

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Stillings, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Stillings surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Stillings household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Stillings is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Stillings is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Stillings falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Stillings is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Stillings, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Stillings

The surname Stillings is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "stilliān" which means "to stand still" or "to be motionless." It is believed to have originated in the 11th century, during the time of the Norman Conquest of England.

The Stillings surname is thought to have been originally used as a descriptive name, referring to someone who was known for their ability to stand still or remain motionless, perhaps as a hunter or a guard. It may have also been used to describe someone who lived a sedentary or stationary lifestyle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Stillings surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and wealth in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Stillinge" in the records for the county of Berkshire.

In the 13th century, a Robertus Stillings was mentioned in the court records of Lincolnshire, indicating that the name had spread to different parts of England by that time. The surname also appeared in various forms such as Stillyng, Stillynge, and Styllynge in medieval records.

One notable bearer of the Stillings surname was Sir Thomas Stillings (1535-1607), an English merchant and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was involved in the Levant Company, which traded with the Ottoman Empire, and served as the Governor of the Company in 1592.

Another prominent figure with the Stillings name was Samuel Stillings (1638-1701), an English Puritan minister and author. He wrote several religious works, including "A Treatise on the Doctrine of Infant Baptism" and "A Discourse on the Nature and Grounds of the Certainty of Faith in Divine Revelation."

In the 18th century, John Stillings (1703-1771) was a notable English writer and translator. He is best known for his translation of the works of the Greek philosopher Xenophon, which he published in 1753.

The Stillings surname also has a connection to place names in England. For example, there is a village called Stillington in the county of Yorkshire, which may have contributed to the development of the surname in that region.

Throughout history, the Stillings surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, politicians, clergymen, writers, and scholars, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stillings families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stillings surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 25 Stillings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.63x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 25 6.63x
Lancashire 13 2.88x
Norfolk 1 1.71x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brightside Bierlow in Yorkshire leads with 11 Stillings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 148.85x.

Place Total Index
Brightside Bierlow 11 148.85x
Bramley In Bramley 7 486.11x
Liverpool 7 25.54x
Broughton In Salford 5 121.07x
Pudsey 4 199.01x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 1 28.49x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 1 222.22x
Cheetham 1 29.67x
Huddersfield 1 18.21x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 56.82x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Stillings surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 4
Emma 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Emelie 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
Margaret 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Stillings surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 3
Joseph 3
James 2
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Hary 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Sydney 1
Thomas 1
Tom 1
Wallace 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Stillings households.

FAQ

Stillings surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stillings surname in 1881?

In 1881, 39 people were recorded with the Stillings surname. That placed it at #28,137 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stillings surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016. That gives Stillings a modern rank of #31,470.

What does the Stillings surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from an old Scots word meaning "one who makes or uses stilts."

What does the Stillings map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Stillings bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.